1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a portable cooler assembly which may be transported along a surface and subsequently mounted within a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable cooler assemblies having an insulated container body and a removable or hinged lid are well known in the art. Many of the coolers include wheels such that the cooler can be easily transported along a surface. The wheels, however, must be designed such that the cooler is stable and rests uniformly on the surface. One contemplated design by the prior art is to have the wheels pivot or retract to provide a uniform bottom surface for the cooler. Examples of cooler assemblies having pivoting or retracting wheels are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,846,493; 5,100,198; 5,313,817; 5,373,708; and 5,465,985.
The cooler assemblies of the prior art; however, have a number of deficiencies. First, the mechanisms for facilitating the pivoting and retracting wheels can be expensive, aesthetically displeasing, cumbersome, and prone to failure. Second, many of the pivoting wheels are relatively small in diameter which can create problems during the transportation of a fully stocked cooler over rough terrain. In addition, none of the cooler assemblies includes a device for securely holding the cooler on the surface.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop a cooler assembly, having wheels, which can be easily transported along a surface and subsequently secured to the surface without the wheels interfering with the stability of the cooler.
A portable cooler assembly adapted to be transported along a surface and adapted to be secured to a vehicle. The cooler assembly comprises an insulated container body having walls and a bottom defining a storage chamber. A lid is mounted to the container body for selectively covering the storage chamber. A pair of wheels are each rotatably mounted to the container body for transporting the cooler assembly along the surface. At least one retaining bracket is adapted to be mounted to the vehicle. The container body abuts the retaining bracket, with the retaining bracket at least partially encompassing the walls of the container body, when the cooler assembly is secured to the vehicle.
The cooler assembly also includes a pair of releasable fasteners having a mounted position rotatably securing the wheels to the container body and having a released position allowing the wheels to be removed from the container body. At least one of the walls, bottom, and lid preferably has a wheel recess with the wheels being fastened within the wheel recess when the wheels are removed from the container body.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides a wheeled cooler assembly which can be easily transported along a surface and subsequently secured to a vehicle without the wheels interfering with the stability of the cooler. In addition, the wheels of the cooler assembly are efficiently stored within a portion of the cooler itself.